Firing of corrections officer upheld

Inmate dragged through jail last September

Renee Fox

Reporter

rfox@tribtoday.com

WARREN — An arbitrator upheld the firing of a corrections officer for an incident last year in the Trumbull County Jail, but also found the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office violated his due process rights.

Corrections officer Christopher Zadroski was fired in September, as was Matthew Abbott, after an inmate who was shackled was assaulted and dragged through the jail. Zadroski filed a grievance with the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and an arbitrator this month ruled the sheriff’s office was right to fire Zadroski, but that it failed to give him due process by giving him a hearing before he was fired.

But rather than reinstating his employment, the arbitrator found the sheriff’s office should mitigate the situation by paying Zadroski for the months between when he was fired in September and when the arbitration process began in January.

The inmate, Solomon Cindea, was dragged through the jail after returning from the hospital. Other corrections officers said Zadroski kicked and punched Cindea when he was shackled, cuffed, lying on his stomach and being held down by other officers.

Several other officers were disciplined for the incident. Sgts. Ariana McBride and Anita Babcock each received unpaid 10-day suspensions.

Mason said the supervisors witnessed the incident and did not try to stop it.

Also suspended were corrections officers William Dreier and Jordan Clay, who each were given two-day unpaid leave, and Joseph Lynn, who was given three unpaid days, Mason said.

Sheriff’s office deputy Anthony Diehl, who was in the booking area of the jail at the time, also witnessed the incident, Mason said, and was given a two-day unpaid suspension.

Abbott was hired in 2014 and Zadroski was hired in 2013. Arbitration hearings have been held for three of the officers who grieved the office’s discipline. Rulings have not yet been issued in those cases.